Originally subtitled, "A series of lectures about Englishmen who changed the course of history," the show kicked off with a profile of Oliver Cromwell, and established the format wherein our host would provide a wittily persuasive argument for the importance of his chosen subject, spinning off into various idiosyncratic sketches.
Across the episodes he was assisted by a regular troupe of players: Martin Hyder, Mel Hudson, Carla Mendonça and Debbie Isitt.
Over three years on radio, the brief changed slightly to become "a series of lectures about people with a passion", as the likes of Aristotle, Che Guevara, Hannibal and Napoleon Bonaparte came under the microscope.
Across the episodes he was assisted by a regular troupe of players: Martin Hyder, Mel Hudson, Carla Mendonça and Debbie Isitt.
Over three years on radio, the brief changed slightly to become "a series of lectures about people with a passion", as the likes of Aristotle, Che Guevara, Hannibal and Napoleon Bonaparte came under the microscope.
Many thanks to Martin F for contributions to this page.
S01 E01 - Oliver Cromwell
S01 E02 - W. G. Grace
S01 E03 - Charlie Chaplin
S01 E04 - Thomas Paine
Series 2 - People with a passion
S02 E01 - Lord Byron
S02 E02 - Aristotle
S02 E03 - Leonardo Da Vinci
S02 E04 - Che Guevara
S02 E05 - Billie Holiday
S02 E06 - Karl Marx
Series 3 - People with a passion
S03 E01 - Ludwig van Beethoven
S03 E02 - Hannibal
S03 E03 - Isaac Newton
S03 E04 - Mary Shelley
S03 E05 - Muhammad Ali
S03 E06 - Napoleon Bonaparte
